Breaking down Surya Namaskar and it’s benefits

Good health is gained through good food, proper thought process, hygienic conditions and maintain postures on a daily basis, which can be achieved by yogic exercises and meditation. The best way to take control over your body is to kick off your day with the most poetic yoga exercise SURYA NAMASKAR.

The literal meaning of Surya Namaskar is salutation to the sun. Surya means, the one which expands and illuminates the world and Namaskar means bowing your head in front of someone whole heartedly without being biased or partial.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar

• Tones muscle and improves flexibility: All the aasans carried out in surya namaskar focuses on different set of muscles, group of muscles and nerve centres. It helps in toning muscles of arms, butt, thighs and abdomen. It also helps in upgrading the complete posture of the body and enhancing the overall personality of the individual.
• Improves Blood circulation and Heart Disease: Surya Namaskar if done at a much faster pace, it acts like a cardio workout. This work out helps in reducing the chances of workout and also improves blood flow.
• Improves digestion and helps in weight loss: Surya namaskar helps in improving blood circulation to the vital organs of the body resulting in improved digestion.
• Increases awareness and energy level: Breathing properly is also a major part of surya namaskar, which helps in improving awareness and enhancing mental stability.
• Improves skin glow: Surya Namaskar helps in increasing the blood flow and ultimately detoxifying which helps in glowing of skin.

Surya Namaskar is a cyclic regime with 12 steps:

Pranamasana

Pranamasana is the first step of Surya Namaskar. Raise your arms from the sides while inhaling and join your palms together as if praying in front of deity while exhaling.

Hastauttanasana

Breathe in and lift your arms up and bend backwards slightly, place your biceps close to your ears.

Hasta Padasana

The Hand to foot Pose involves exhaling while bend forward from your waist to touch the ground, ensure that you keep your spine erect

Ashwa Sanchalanasana

Also known as the Equestrian pose. Inhale and stretch your body parallel to the ground, look up with your right knee towards the right part of the chest and let the left leg stretch out.

Dandasana

The Stick Pose. As you breathe in, take the left leg back and bring the whole body in a straight line.

Ashtanga Namaskara

Gently bring your knees down to the floor and exhale. Take the hips back slightly, slide forward, rest your chest and chin on the floor. Raise your posterior a little bit. The two hands, two feet, two knees, chest and chin (eight parts of the body) should touch the floor.

Bhujangasana

The Cobra pose. Slide forward and raise the chest up into the Cobra pose. You may keep your elbows bent in this pose with the shoulders away from the ears. Look up at the ceiling.

Adho Mukha Svanasana

The Downward facing dog pose. Breathing out, lift the hips and the tailbone up to bring the body into an inverted ‘V’ pose.

Ashwa Sanchalanasana

Breathing in, bring the right foot forward in between the two hands. The left knee goes down on the floor. Press the hips down and look up.

Hastapadasana

Standing forward bend. Breathing out, bring the left foot forward. Keep the palms on the floor. You may bend the knees, if necessary.

Hastauttanasana

Breathing in, roll the spine up. Raise the hands up and bend backward a little bit, pushing the hips slightly outward.

Tadasana

As you exhale, first straighten the body, then bring the arms down. Relax in this position and observe the sensations in your body.

Even if you have very less time for exercise, surya namaskar is a very powerful and useful exercise which helps in covering almost every aspect of the body and improving health.